The Loft at Manor Mill
The Loft at Manor Mill is a special place and has hosted hundreds of musicians from all over the world and in most every genre. It’s important to understand a few things about us so that you can judge for yourself whether to inquire about playing.
We have a few artists/bands who play all covers as part of a tribute show or because they are a special exception, but in general we strongly favor original music.
We are a listening room, and there is no food or drink service (it’s BYOB). This is important because we are dependent on ticket sales, but it also means that we expect the highest quality music that is well rehearsed and performance-ready.
We expect every band who plays here to have a decent, ideally professional, website and some social media presence to help promote the show. A linktree is not sufficient. Professional photography and video helps.
Terms for payment are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Our capacity is 75 seats and The Loft typically charges between $25 - $35 / ticket. We add 10% to every ticket which goes directly to the State of Maryland for the Admission & Amusement tax. Payment to the artist uses the base ticket price for computation.
We are in rural Northern Baltimore County, and while we have amplified music, we work hard to be respectful of our neighbors. If you want to play loudly or “loud” is part of your sound, we’re not a good fit.
We generally are booking out three to six months in advance.
We will consider most days of the week, with a leaning toward Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with typical start times of 7:00 PM in the winter and 8:00 PM in the summer.
Musicians typically play two sets, 45-50 minutes each, with an intermission, though we are also open to a 70-80 minute single set.
While our calendar may show a free evening because nothing is displayed, we host many private and unpublished events (or we just are giving ourselves a break since we are a small operation!)
We will need a stage plot at least two days prior to the show. Please review our page on logistics, timing, and other details related to arrival.
For touring bands, we will typically provide accommodations. The Miller’s House is onsite and is a restored two bedroom farmhouse with a fold out queen bed. The Fisherman’s Lodge at the Monkton Hotel is about .1 mile away and is a one bedroom apartment with a full-sized pull out couch. Both are listed on AirBnB and we make them available if they are not otherwise booked. We have a relationship with the Holiday Inn in Hunt Valley for when we need to provide accommodation but both spots are booked.
The Loft provides sound engineering support for all shows and makes the following equipment available:
